1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the air-to-air supply of aerial vehicles and more particularly to an apparatus and method for the air-to-air arming of manned and unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The restricted storage and delivery capabilities of a typical combat aircraft are limited. Likewise, the quantity of the expandable on-board fuel and weapon stores is also limited. Because the effective duration of an air combat mission is relatively long and because the number of targets that could be attacked depends directly on the quantity of fuel and weapon stores carried, stores must be replenished. Traditionally, in order to continue an air combat mission, when the combat aircraft exhausts the fuel or weapon stores, the aircraft is compelled to exit the combat area and return to a typically distant ground station (air base) or naval station (aircraft carrier) to be re-fuelled, re-armed and optionally to be provided with new or updated intelligence information. Subsequently, the aircraft could return to the combat area and continue the mission. Thus, replenishing of fuel and weapon stores of an aircraft and providing the required intelligence or target data in the traditional manner involves a substantial amount of non-combat time. The non-combat time period includes a two-way air trip between the typically distant ground or naval station and the air combat area, landing, ground taxiing, re-fuelling, re-arming, intelligence briefing and taking-off.
During the last few decades the fuel supply factor has been gradually alleviated by the development, implementation and refinement of the aerial refueling systems and methods involving what are referred to as a probe and drogue procedure. The intelligence and target data or information required by aircrew is increasingly delivered by high-speed, enhanced-bandwidth data link systems that provide unidirectional or bi-directional transmission of mission-specific intelligence in real-time. Other advanced solutions concerning the provision of intelligence or target data has emerged, such as for example, the provision of target data via satellite that enables attacks on out-of-visual-range targets. The aerial fuelling option and the availability of the new systems for the provision of intelligence/target data both provide the viable option of prolonging the combat time period of the aircraft.
Presently the weapon supply factor or the arming of the aircraft remains the principal bottleneck that hinder the ongoing efforts for prolonging substantially the effective combat time period associated with an air combat mission. The prevailing tendency in the air forces of the world is to reduce significantly the number of operational combat aircraft due to high cost of modern aerial platforms. Modern combat aircraft also carry less, yet more effective “smart” ordnance. As a result the operational requirements from a combat aircraft include improved versatility and single mission-specific efficiency.
It will be readily appreciated by one with ordinary skills in the art that a new apparatus and operating method is required for dealing with the weapon re-supply factor in order to improve ordnance delivery capacity, to reduce the length of non-combat periods between attacks, to increase the number of attacks in a given period, and as a result to enhance the efficiency of the air power.